Vona Vella – Izzy Davis, Dan Cunningham, Jake Bott, Claud J Melton and Dexter Howell – took a fairly early slot over on Stage 3 at the Come Together Festival in Newcastle. It meant that there was only a small crowd by the time they took the stage, as The Lottery Winners ran over with a Robbie Williams lookalike on the main stage.
But, as the band kicked things off with I Wanna Tap Into Your Heaven, Izzy’s vocals and Dexter’s guitar began to draw more of a crowd. By the end of that first track, the crowd had built, giving Izzy the opportunity to connect with the crowd, relaxed and good humoured. “Come closer everyone”, she said. “Even if we did smell, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the barrier!” She has an easy way with the crowd, and the festival-goers move forward to get involved in the action.
There’s a great chemistry between the band – Izzy and Dan playfully interacting during the songs, a closeness that’s reflected in their harmonies together. There’s attitude from Claud on bass, while Jake’s drums combine to keep the rhythm flowing. Dexter, who almost hangs back while the rest of the band shine, plays some sweet guitar lines and really completes the sound.
As they move through the set, some dancing breaks out among the crowd to Thought We Were Falling in Love before a couple of new tracks – Carnival, the title track from their upcoming album and Bottled finish the set on a high.
Vona Vella will be on the road towards the end of the year, and their new album is slated for February 2026, so there’s plenty more to look forward to from this Nottingham 5-piece.
Set list:
I Wanna Tap Into Your Heaven
Bass Driver
Come By
Thought We Were Falling In Love
Beartrap
Carnival
Bottled
